The first dispensary in Texas is preparing to open, here’s what you should know

Schulenburg, Texas will be home to the first dispensary in Texas. Knox Medical, is opening in compliance with the Compassionate Use Program and is undergoing many inspections from the Department of Public Safety prior to opening.

“We’ll go to the major treatment centers and talk to the physicians and find out, ‘Do any of your patients qualify for medical cannabis?’” Jose Hidalgo, Founder and CEO of Knox Medical, explained.

The company who is also planning on doing deliveries, said they chose the town of Schulenburg because of its location between three major cites: San Antonio, Austin and Houston.

However, not everyone will have access to the medical cannabis. The Compassionate Use Program is only intended for patients in Texas with intractable epilepsy of any age.

What are the determining factors? A patient may be prescribed low-THC cannabis if:

The patient is a permanent resident of Texas

The patient is diagnosed with intractable epilepsy

The qualified physician determines the risk of the medical use of low-THC cannabis by a patient is reasonable in light of the potential benefit for the patient

A second qualified physician has concurred with the determination.

The FDA still classifies medical marijuana as unsafe and smoking the plant is still illegal in Texas.

So what forms of medical marijuana are going to be available?

The dispensary is only authorized for Low-THC versions of the cannabis plant and any part of that plant or any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, preparation, resin or oil of that plant that contains: no more than 0.5 percent by weight of THC and no less than 10% by weight of cannabidiol (CBD).

It is important to understand, just like all medications, CBD oil has limits. It’s not a miracle cure and does not work for everyone. Researchers are not sure why it shows benefits in some patients and not in others.